Secretary of Education Linda McMahon appeared before the House Education and the Workforce Committee last week to discuss U.S. Department of Education (ED) priorities. Key topics included the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget proposal, efforts to “return education to the states,” a new definition of “professional degree,” and more. Many Republicans supported consolidating K–12 programs into a scaled-back Make Education Great Again block grant, as proposed by the FY 2027 budget. Representative DeSaulnier (D-CA) raised concerns about consolidating programs like Statewide Family Engagement Centers, citing bipartisan support and strong results. He also noted the need to maintain all funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) given the Secretary has proposed to eliminate IDEA Part B-619 preschool and Part D National Activities funding. McMahon affirmed her commitment to supporting students with disabilities. Asked about unspent funds for the Institute of Education Sciences, which includes special education research, she said, “We are evaluating those funds.” On shifting programs to other agencies, McMahon stated ED is “successfully co-administering grants and programs.” Representative Takano (D-CA) questioned the impact of cuts to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR); McMahon noted that, now that staff are in place, the 19,000-case backlog she inherited has been reduced by over 4,000 cases, without detailing how. Discussion also focused on ED’s new definition of “professional degree” under the federal loan program, which excludes fields like teaching, social work, and nursing. Democrats warned this could push students toward more costly private loans, while McMahon argued it would pressure institutions to lower tuition. COPAA has submitted funding recommendations for FY 2027 to Congress.